Tom Johnson, Clorox vice president – Finance, is the president of the board of directors for Out and Equal Workplace Advocates. Here Tom shares his thoughts on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) allies and his own experience with allies.

How do you define an LGBT ally?

An ally is someone united with others to drive change in their workplace, in their families and in their communities to celebrate diversity and equality.

Why are allies important to the LGBT community?

Despite progress in recent years, it’s still legal to fire people in 29 states simply for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. On a daily basis, LGBT people must choose between living authentically and providing for their families. Outside of the U.S., we can be jailed or killed simply for living our lives with integrity.